Indians can't hold onto 6-2 lead after three innings as Westbrook, bullpen struggle.
UPDATED: 5:26 p.m.
Paul Konerko's two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning prevented the Indians from taking advantage of a 3-0 lead as the White Sox eventually ralied for an 8-7 victory at U.S. Cellular Field on Sunday.CHICAGO, Ill. -- Jake Westbrook wasted two three-run leads as Chicago rallied to beat the Indians, 8-7, today at U.S. Cellular Field. The victory prevented a three-game sweep by the Indians.
Tony Sipp (0-2), wrapping up a horrendous trip, took the loss. He gave up what proved to be the winning run in the seventh.
The Indians went 4-6 on this trip through New York, Detroit and Chicago.
Westbrook was presented with leads of 3-0 and 6-3, but couldn't hold them. The Indians made it 8-7 in the eighth on Jhonny Peralta's RBI single, but could could get no closer.
J.J. Putz (1-2) was the winner. Bobby Jenks pitched the ninth for his ninth save.
Back from the depths: The White Sox, who already overcame two three-run deficits, took their first lead of the game on Carlos Quentin's two-out, two-run single in the seventh off Rafael Perez. Tony Sipp and Jensen Lewis created a base-loaded jam for Perez. He retired Mark Kotsay, but Quentin sent his 0-2 pitch through the middle to break the 6-6 tie.
Chicago rally: Trailing 6-2, the White Sox scored one run in the fourth and three in the fifth to tie the game. In the process, they knocked Jake Westbrook out of the game.
Quentin's two-out single off shortstop Luis Valbuena's glove behind second base scored Alex Rios to make it 6-3 in the fourth. Rios reached on a leadoff double.
The White Sox tied it in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Omar Vizquel and RBI singles by Rios and Kotsay. Westbrook was gone after Kotsay's single.
Flat tire: Mark Grudzielanek left the game after grounding out in the sixth with a tight right hamstring. Jason Donald came in to play short and Valbuena moved to second.
Three spot: The Indians jumped Mark Buehrle for a 3-0 lead in the first. Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run double following after Shin-Soo Choo singled and Austin Kearns doubled him to third. Shelley Duncan followed with the Tribe's third straight double to make it 3-0.
Three-spot, Part 2: Lou Marson hit a three-run homer over the left-field fence with two out in the third for a 6-2 lead. It was Marson's first AL homer and the second in his big-league career. It also ended an 0-for-19 slump for the Tribe catcher.
A walk by Valbuena and Matt LaPorta's single set the table for Marson.
In search of a shutdown inning: After the Indians handed Westbrook a 3-0 lead in the first, he gave up a two-out, two-run homer to Paul Konerko in the bottom of the first. Not being able to shut down the opposition in the next half inning following a Tribe rally has been a pet peeve of Manny Acta's this season.
The line: Westbrook allowed six runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He threw 97 pitches, 57 for strikes. Buehrle didn't come out for the fourth. He threw 95 pitches in three innings, allowing six runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out three.
Pre-game updates:
Game 55: And after the 18th straight start at shortstop, Jason Donald rested.
Donald, a rookie, was out of the lineup for his first game since arriving from Class AAA Columbus to replace injured Asdrubal Cabrera on May 18. Luis Valbuena, who has suddenly started hitting again, started at short.
"Everything has happened so fast for him," said Steve Smith, Indians third base coach and infield instructor, about Donald, "that I think it's going to be good for him to sit and watch a game. It will be like, "Hey, I really am in the big leagues."
Smith worked with Donald when they were both with Philadelphia.
"His biggest thing, a few years ago, is that he'd get so hyper," said Smith. "Now he's calming his game down and slowing it down. His clock is getting better."
Clock?
"He's learning and understanding different runners," said Smith. "When to be quicker, when to slow it down. We call it a clock and his clock is getting better."
Donald is hitting .234 (15-for-64) with four doubles, two triples, one homer and six RBI.
"I think he's done a nice job," said Smith. "It's tough to lose Cabrera, but now we get a chance to see what the kid can do."
Manager Manny Acta, with Cabrera out for eight to 10 weeks with a broken left forearm, is trying to be careful with Donald's playing time.
"With Cabrera not being here, he's obviously going to get a big chunk of innings out there," said Acta. "With four months to go, we have to find a way to monitor that."
Valbuena is the backup shortstop even though he's struggled at the position this year. Jhonny Peralta and Mark Grudzielanek are Acta's other options, but he said, "Valbuena is our back up."
Rumblings below: Valbuena went into today's game with seven hits in his last 12 at-bats over the last three games. It raised his average from .134 to .183.
Lineups: Indians (13-33): CF Trevor Crowe (S), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L) LF Austin Kearns (R), 3B Jhonny Peralta (R), DH Shelley Duncan (R), 2B Mark Grudzielanek (R), SS Luis Valbuena (L), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), C Lou Marson (R) and RHP Jake Westbrook (3-3, 4.36).
White Sox (23-32): LF Juan Pierre (L), 3B Omar Vizquel (S), CF Alex Rios (R), 1B Paul Konerko (R), DH Mark Kotsay (L), RF Carlos Quentin (R), C A.J. Pierzynski (L), SS Alexei Ramirez (R), 2B Gordon Beckham (R) and LHP Mark Buehrle (3-6, 4.84).
Lineup notes: Travis Hafner broke an 0-for-24 skid with a leadoff double in the ninth inning Saturday, but he wasn't in the lineup today against the left-handed Buehrle. Westbrook is 8-13 lifetime against Chicago, while Buehrle is 12-15 against the Indians.
Umpires: H Ed Rapuano, 1B Tom Hallion, 2B Ron Kulpa, 3B Lance Barksdale,
Quote of the day: "Well, that's football," former Tribe catcher Ray Fosse after his famous collision with Pete Rose at the 1970 All-Star game from Baseball's Greatest Quotations by Paul Dickson.
Next: Boston's RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (4-2, 5.49) vs. RHP Fausto Carmona (4-4, 3.53) Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Progressive Field.